Two-a-Day

Performing in two shows a day is intense for seasoned actors, for first graders in their first play it downright incredible...especially when they are two different plays performed on the same day.

We left Salinas at the crack of dawn and were in Santa Barbara with enough time for Walt to get in a nap before it was time to go to Bri's school.  The first play was just Bri's class and they were singing little songs about the people in our communities who help us.  Folks like chefs, plumbers, mailmen, dentists, veterinarians, the ever popular garbage man, and many others, each with its own song and dance.

What amazed me about this production (other than it being so irresistibly cute!) was the incredible number of lines, lyrics, and choreographed steps the kids had to learn--and they did a great job!  Bri was in several of the skits...in fact, so many that she had more props than anybody else and dropped everything on her way to the stage before the show.  Four girls jumped down and helped her up.

Some of the kids were better than others...and the little girl in pink on the right side of the stage was a real pistol.  She was even smaller than Bri but had just great stage presence and enunciated very clearly.

When the show was over, Bri went back to class and the rest of us returned to Alice Nan's, where Walt took an hour nap and I took a two hour nap.  Then it was time to go back to the school for the grammar school production of The Music Man.

It was a 45 minute Music Man with a female Harold Hill, but by God they did it.  They had almost all the songs, abbreviated, a lot of the dialog, some unintelligible (since I know the show inside and out I knew what they were saying).  Some songs, like the opening number on the train were spoken, not sung, but it worked.  They eliminated the school board (don't think it was possible to get a grammar school barbershop quartet!) And it was just a darling little show.

I told the director...

(I didn't get his name) ... that he was either insane...or brilliant!

He tells me that their next show is going to be Annie.  God help me!

So we've done what we came to do...and it was worth every mile Walt had to drive to get here!